Château Laville Sauternes 2023 (37.5cl)
£22.25
The wine
A bright golden yellow. Fresh citrus, candied fruit and marmalade leap from the glass, married with subtle hints of rye bread spice. The palate is intense and layered, with dried fig, orange blossom and sweet spice, and a mouth-watering acidity that balances the sweetness and carries the flavours onto a remarkably long finish.
Laville farms fourteen hectares in Sauternes on gravel over limestone, the best plots reserved for this wine, from vines of around 35 years. A flock of Landais sheep, an endangered breed from the Landes forest, grazes the rows from November until spring and fertilises the soil as it goes. The botrytised berries are hand-picked over several passes, then the wine spends 30 months in new 400 litre casks. This is the half bottle.
The producer
Château Laville
View all Château Laville winesChâteau Laville is a family estate in Sauternes and Barsac, where the great sweet wines of Bordeaux are born. Its vineyards lie near the cool Ciron, whose autumn mists summon the noble rot that makes these wines possible. Generations of patient work stand behind each bottle.
Sémillon leads the plantings, joined by Sauvignon Blanc, on the limestone and gravel soils of the appellation. Botrytis cinerea shrivels the grapes and concentrates their sugars and flavours. Pickers move through the vines repeatedly, gathering only the finest botrytised berries.
The precious juice is fermented slowly and aged with care, building the depth and balance of fine Sauternes. Luscious sweetness is held in check by bright acidity, giving wines that are rich yet never heavy. Time only adds complexity.
Laville offers the golden opulence of Sauternes at a welcoming price. Honeyed and glowing, it is a wine for celebration, for pudding, and for the classic partnership with blue cheese.
